Two of North London’s finest in Arsenal and Tottenham will go to head-to-head in a crunch derby encounter at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. TheHardTackle picks a combined starting eleven ahead of the much-anticipated game.
Bragging rights will be at stake when Tottenham Hotspur visit the Emirates Stadium to take on an in-form Arsenal side. Being the only unbeaten side in the division, Mauricio Pochettino’s men will like to take as many positives as they can going into Sunday’s game.
Arsene Wenger has seen his side pick themselves up after a disappointing start to the season, and the Gunners are among the favourites to lift the Premier League crown. Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott have added tremendous flair to the Gunners attack and will be hoping to put in a spirited performance against their local rivals.
Here is TheHardTackle’s combined XI:
Petr Cech
Petr Cech and Hugo Lloris both make a strong case for selection. The duo have kept an identical number of clean sheets this term (4). The Spurs goalkeeper has conceded five fewer goals than his opposite number, but has had a stable back four in front of him.
Cech, on the other hand, had to contend with several changes to his back-line at the beginning of the season. Shkodran Mustafi and Laurent Koscielny have since established themselves as a stable centre-back pairing.
The Czech goalkeeper has been called into action more often than Lloris and has been up to the task time and again, despite shipping in goals due to certain defensive errors. His standout performance came in the 0-0 draw against Middlesbrough, where his saves kept the Gunners in the game.
Kyle Walker
Walker has been part of the Spurs setup for a number of years and narrowly beats Hector Bellerin to the right-back spot in the combined team. The Englishman has been solid at the back and has been equally influential in attack. His marauding runs have often tormented opposition full-backs and he has two assists to show for his efforts in the final third this season.
Shkodran Mustafi
Much like Walker, Toby Alderweireld has been solid in defence for Tottenham. However, an injury to his knee will see him sit out this crunch North London derby. His loss is certainly Mustafi’s gain and the German centre-back makes it to the team ahead of the Belgian.
Mustafi has looked calm and composed since his move from Valencia in August and has taken little time to adapt to life in England. He has formed a valuable understanding with Koscielny and as a pair they look to be getting better with each passing game.
Laurent Kosicelny
Pipping Jan Vertonghen to make it into the eleven is Arsenal’s Laurent Koscielny. The centre-back has been one of the better defenders in the league this season and has been handed the captain’s armband in the absence of Per Mertesacker. Koscielny has also found himself on the scoresheet this campaign, finding the back of the net against Burnley and Southampton.
Danny Rose
Rose has been slightly overshadowed this season due to the glowing performances of Walker, but has been equally effective. At times, the Spurs full-back has been deployed as a secondary winger and has done a decent job in providing quality crosses into the eighteen-yard-area.
Victor Wanyama
Wanyama moved to White Hart Lane this summer from Southampton and has been an exceptional holding midfielder for Mauricio Pochettino’s side this season. His physical presence has added to Spurs’ midfield strength and he will need to be at his best to deal with the equally physical Francis Coquelin on Sunday.
Dele Alli
While Alli may not have been at the same level he was a season ago, he makes it into the eleven purely due to the injury sustained by Santi Cazorla. The Spaniard was central to Arsenal’s plans at the start of the season and will be a huge miss on Sunday
Alli has not been the shining star in the Spurs side this season, but his industry has been second to none. He burst into life in his side’s 2-0 victory over Manchester City, where he put in a performance of the highest order.
Theo Walcott
After being under the cosh for his poor performances over the years for Arsenal, Theo Walcott is finally beginning to repay the faith Arsene Wenger has placed in him. Playing down the right flank, Walcott has been tireless and has seen a lot goalmouth action. He has five goals and three assists to his name this season, but due to a slight hamstring injury, Walcott may not start Sunday’s North London derby.
Mesut Ozil
Ozil’s phenomenal goal in the Champions League is doing the rounds over the internet, but his Premier League form has also been particularly impressive. The German has formed an exceptional understanding with Alexis Sanchez and together, the duo have the capability of wreaking havoc in the attacking third.
Son Heung-min
Due to an injury to Harry Kane, Pochettino has opted to play Son Heung-min as a false nine, which has reaped huge rewards. The South Korean scored two and assisted another as Tottenham decimated Stoke City 4-0 recently.
Son was in the think of things once again when he grabbed a couple against Middlesbrough. With Vincent Janssen now playing up top, Son has struggled to find himself in goal-scoring positions, but the South Korean will be raring to have a go against Spurs’ fiercest rivals on Sunday.
Alexis Sanchez
Sanchez has benefited from his change in role, with Arsenal registering win after win due to his solid performances. The Chilean has been used as a central striker this term and has managed to do a sublime job in front of goal. He has racked up six goals and four assists already and is showing no signs of stopping.
